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Has anyone ditched their CD Player......

My CD transport recently died, so I decided to finish off my new Windows media server project. My criteria were:

* No faff, just turn it on, no logins, software automatically loads on boot, as I am running it headless.

* Totally silent; I use an ASRock J4205 passively cooled motherboard, no case fans etc.

* Must be able to stream TIDAL lossless controlled via an iOS device. This was a bit more fiddly:

1. Install BubbleUPnP server on Windows
2. Install JRiver and activate / configure a DLNA server in it. Important to set the server to output uncompressed files, as by default it will be compressed to mp3 - I also set my audio output to WASAPI into my USB to SPDIF converter
3. Activate JRiver as a media renderer in BubbleUPnP
4. Install the Kazoo app for iOS, open it, it should see your new network - you can sign into TIDAL via Kazoo. You may need to allow Java or JRiver in your firewall settings...
5. Stream away!

I must say it’s a breath of fresh air having this permanently available. I used to plug my laptop in to stream, which is used as a general laotop, but that was finicky compared to plopping a CD on, whereas this is even more convenient, just fire up Kazoo and go. Bitperfect, uncompressed audio that is undistinguishable from CD.
 
Like many here I got rid of my CD player years ago. I still buy CDs to rip to the NAS. I have all the CDs boxed in the loft. I still have all my LPs in the listening room. I don't find CDs aesthetically pleasing. Why would I want to play a physical CD? I do play CDs in the car on long journeys however.
 
I recently had my CDX2 rebuilt to specs, added a TeddyXPS, bought a Pro-Ject RPM 3 Carbon TT, a Stageline, another TC for it, have at least four devices for Internet Radio in various rooms and many Amazon Autorips or iTunes buys on both my cellphones, for bed or train earphone listening. I also have two Bluetooth powered speakers to make some of my cellphone music do background. The only thing I do not yet have, and am not interested in, is HD based systems – the so-called streaming.
 
Interestingly, when I first got my media server set up last night (headless), I couldn't quite pin it, but something was a little bit 'off'.

I then moved it back near the TV to plug in HDMI & look into the settings, and noticed that the JRiver DLNA server was set up to encode / compress files to 320kbps. I then set it to send the original files (in this case FLAC), plugged it back into my HiFi, and et voila, no more niggles!

...kind of an unintentional blind test I guess. ;)
 
...I think 2009 was the last time I owned a CD player... ripped all my CDs (mainly to free up space in the living room)... Still buy a few CDs but they just get ripped and loaded onto the NAS...
 
Last used a CD player in 2011.

Still bought CDs for a couple of years and ripped then. Downloads to 2014 and streaming Qobuz since then.

Still play vinyl.
 
Maxbertola said:
I recently had my CDX2 rebuilt to specs, added a TeddyXPS, bought a Pro-Ject RPM 3 Carbon TT, a Stageline, another TC for it, have at least four devices for Internet Radio in various rooms and many Amazon Autorips or iTunes buys on both my cellphones, for bed or train earphone listening. I also have two Bluetooth powered speakers to make some of my cellphone music do background. The only thing I do not yet have, and am not interested in, is HD based systems – the so-called streaming.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you could save a fortune with streaming using a combination of Qobuz and Sonos or Chromecast.

With Qobuz Sublime you get offline storage for using when travelling and much improved sound if you add in a Chord Mojo.
 
Yomanze said:
My CD transport recently died, so I decided to finish off my new Windows media server project. My criteria were:

* No faff, just turn it on, no logins, software automatically loads on boot, as I am running it headless.

* Totally silent; I use an ASRock J4205 passively cooled motherboard, no case fans etc.

* Must be able to stream TIDAL lossless controlled via an iOS device. This was a bit more fiddly:

1. Install BubbleUPnP server on Windows
2. Install JRiver and activate / configure a DLNA server in it. Important to set the server to output uncompressed files, as by default it will be compressed to mp3 - I also set my audio output to WASAPI into my USB to SPDIF converter
3. Activate JRiver as a media renderer in BubbleUPnP
4. Install the Kazoo app for iOS, open it, it should see your new network - you can sign into TIDAL via Kazoo. You may need to allow Java or JRiver in your firewall settings...
5. Stream away!

I must say it’s a breath of fresh air having this permanently available. I used to plug my laptop in to stream, which is used as a general laotop, but that was finicky compared to plopping a CD on, whereas this is even more convenient, just fire up Kazoo and go. Bitperfect, uncompressed audio that is undistinguishable from CD.
Click to expand...

You could have saved yourself time and possibly money by getting an Auralic Aries Mini. Their Lightning software is also way better than JRiver or Kazoo.
 
I stopped using my Naim CD3.5 as the ND5-XS being fed .wav flies from the NAS sounded better and I liked the convenience. The difference when I used the ND5 through my Audio Note DAC was a significant leap in sq, well beyond the Native ND5 and CD3.5. I kept buying and ripping CDs though and glad I did; I have recently added an AN CD transport into the AN DAC and it’s completely switched me back to physical CDs.... must get around to selling the3.5 & psu some time.
 
I have just done the opposite to what most have probably done, I’ve just got my CDs out of boxes and built new shelves in the study to store them all!! I’ve been digital music based for probably the last 5 years, with all my cds packed away, started with one of the iMacs with the monitor on a stork and began uploading all my cds about 14 years ago... Got the first ever iPod and I was addicted. I Used iTunes until it no longer was called iTunes and became ‘Apple music’ which I really dislike.

Used Spotify, then Tidal, then Roon.

Unpacking my cds was wonderful, so much music that I had forgotten about, and it’s great getting a cd and pressing play... you tend not to skip as much as you do with anything streaming based, so an album goes in and plays till the end.

Cds look good on the shelves too. So I’m probably back out the other side and have gone more tactile again. :)
 
Rug Doc said:
I have just done the opposite to what most have probably done, I’ve just got my CDs out of boxes and built new shelves in the study to store them all!! I’ve been digital music based for probably the last 5 years, with all my cds packed away, started with one of the iMacs with the monitor on a stork and began uploading all my cds about 14 years ago... Got the first ever iPod and I was addicted. I Used iTunes until it no longer was called iTunes and became ‘Apple music’ which I really dislike.

Used Spotify, then Tidal, then Roon.

Unpacking my cds was wonderful, so much music that I had forgotten about, and it’s great getting a cd and pressing play... you tend not to skip as much as you do with anything streaming based, so an album goes in and plays till the end.

Cds look good on the shelves too. So I’m probably back out the other side and have gone more tactile again. :)
Click to expand...

I agree completely, the effort of selecting & loading a CD and flipping through the booklet just has me more invested in the album and more likely to enjoy it all the way through.

Another big bonus is the CD player never needs rebooting, router restarts or finding the iPad prior to enjoying music.
 
Dee-Kay said:
I agree completely, the effort of selecting & loading a CD and flipping through the booklet just has me more invested in the album and more likely to enjoy it all the way through.

Another big bonus is the CD player never needs rebooting, router restarts or finding the iPad prior to enjoying music.
Click to expand...

True, I did need to take the lid off my CD player only yesterday to remove the extra two cds that my 1yo had decided to try and play by sliding them between the tray and the front panel jamming it up though... it’s a far more hands on experience in more ways than one!!
 
Rug Doc said:
I Used iTunes until it no longer was called iTunes and became ‘Apple music’ which I really dislike.

Unpacking my cds was wonderful, so much music that I had forgotten about, and it’s great getting a cd and pressing play... you tend not to skip as much as you do with anything streaming based, so an album goes in and plays till the end.

Cds look good on the shelves too. So I’m probably back out the other side and have gone more tactile again. :)
Click to expand...


iTunes is still iTunes. Or at least it was 20 seconds ago. Apple Music is a different thing, not that I know a great deal about it having never subscribed. iTunes on the other hand is in pretty much daily use in the office at least.

I agree about CD though. I went 'disc free' in 2010 when a lightning strike took out 5 grands worth of CD transport and DAC. Didn't go back to CD until Januuary 2016. But to my ears good RedBook still sounds better than file-based replay. Oddly enough it was 'hi-res' downloads which first made me aware of that.

Friend of mine who ditched a Copland CDP few years back in favour of an iMac/Stello USB Converter has just bought the top-loading Project CD transport. Not heard it yet in the context of his system, but I think it would be fair to describe his initial reaction, albeit a little inelegantly, as being 'happy as a pig in sh*t.'
 
To be technically correct I actually do streaming in that I rip Cds and play internet radio. My cd in my car audio is alive and well; it is used nearly every day.
 
sls4321 said:
Sounds like you could save a fortune with streaming using a combination of Qobuz and Sonos or Chromecast.

With Qobuz Sublime you get offline storage for using when travelling and much improved sound if you add in a Chord Mojo.
Click to expand...

Hi,

did I mention regretting the cost?

Max
 
Mac Mini: iTunes - Audrivana Plus - USB to M-DAC+ XLRs to Primare Pre32 XLRs to Primare A43.2 to Quadral CS8s. I have a CA universal player's analogue to Preamp or coax to Dac. I played a CD last year, I think. Been streaming music for a coupler of years via iTunes. Yet to play with streaming movies. TV's out via optical.
 
Haven't had a CDP since about 2008 I reckon, vinyl is main source with ripped CDs and download codes run via Jriver and headless server/cheap DAC doing the rest.
 
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